Predecessor (Connor x Reader)

13 - On The Run

You instinctively stiffen. There's an air about him—something off, dangerous, or maybe it's just the fact that his presence alone seems to shift the energy in the room. As he reaches you, Connor pulls up two chairs for Hank and this guy, gesturing for them to sit as he moves to stand behind you.

As he settles on his chair across from you, you notice the faint smell of the combination of body odour and something faintly rancid, like a mix of burnt plastic and harsh solvents that seems to cling to him like a second skin. You scan him:

Williams, Todd

Born: 01/25, 1995 // Unemployed

Criminal record: Drug trafficking, violent misdemeanours.

Your eyes flick to his hands. There's a faint trace of red ice residue on his fingertips, the source of the smell. Yeah... this sure seems like a trustworthy guy.

"Uh, morning," Todd mutters, his voice rough. "Todd Williams. I'm here to report an assault from an android."

Hank leans back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yeah, I'm Lieutenant Anderson. This here's Detective—" He introduces your last name. "What happened?"

"I was having dinner, I was minding my own business. Damn thing jumped on me. Managed to defend myself, but it went crazy. I thought it was gonna kill me... So I fought it off, but it ran away."

You study him as he speaks. His words don't seem to match his body language, and you can see Hank starting to question the story.

You take the lead, staying calm. "What was the model? How long had you had the android?" You glance past him across the precinct and see Chris and Tina listening in at their desks.

"AX400. Just got it back from the shop," Todd mutters. "Took two weeks to fix it, wiped its memory and everything. Barely had it for a damn night before it flipped out on me."

"Repaired?" You raise an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"A car hit it. Stupid accident."

"How'd that happen?"

"Damn thing just walked into the road," Todd grumbles.

"Right... okay." You exchange a quick glance with Hank, who doesn't seem convinced. This man's story is full of holes, and he's not exactly selling it.

Connor's voice is calm but tinged with something faintly probing. "So, a perfectly functioning AX400... walks right into traffic?" His eyes flicker briefly to Todd, but his tone stays even. "Seems... unlikely. But hey, accidents happen, right?"

Todd glances at him briefly but doesn't answer.

"Were there any witnesses who saw the assault last night?" Hank asks.

"Well, there was my daughter, but it fuckin' took her! Kidnapped her!"

You blink, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his focus. It's strange that he didn't lead with that, like losing his daughter isn't more important to him than his own assault. You share a brief look with Hank, then glance at Connor, who's observing from behind you.

"What's her name? And how old is she?" You ask, your tone measured.

"Alice. She's uh... nine."

Given his violent history, it wouldn't be surprising if he's the one who escalated things. The android was mysteriously hit by a car, and now she's gone with his daughter. You feel a tension in your jaw as you weigh the possibility. Could the android have been protecting the child from the man himself?